Oktibbeha County is hoping to soon begin work on a road improvement project along Blackjack Road but is waiting for easements from property owners.
The county is eyeing legal action to get the easements.
County supervisors discussed the roadwork, which has been in the works for years, during Monday’s meeting as residents came to voice concerns about the road’s condition.
Jolanda Young, of the Blackjack community, said it can be exhausting dodging potholes while dealing with the heavy traffic that chokes the road.
“I’m sure everyone here is probably aware of the condition of Blackjack Road,” she said. “If you have not had the pleasure of traveling it I’m sure you have heard the many complaints that occur daily. If you have not had the pleasure of traveling Blackjack Road please, please do so and experience what we experience every single day.”
The county has plans to rebuild and expand a portion of Blackjack Road from Bardwell Street west to Stone Boulevard. County Administrator Emily Garrard said the project is a collaboration between the county, which has had $4.2 million in bond money ready for about a year, and Mississippi State University, which has $3 million from the Mississippi Development Authority.
However, work has not started due to needing right-of-way on four properties to start the project.
“We need every easement down there,” District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery said. “That’s what’s holding us up. With the state and federal dollars allocated to that, they won’t let us begin that project until what they’ve specified as the project is all Oktibbeha County’s right-of-way.”
Board President Orlando Trainer said the county is patching potholes as it can. However, he acknowledged that was only a temporary fix — and a poor use of county funds — as the patches won’t hold for long.
“At this point, that’s all we can do,” Trainer said. “We could close the road off. But that’s going to create a major inconvenience for a lot of people.”
Considering legal action
Board Attorney Rob Roberson said the county is still in talks with owners of three apartment complexes — Campus Trails, the Pointe at MSU and Aspen Heights — to obtain the easements needed so the project can move ahead. He said the county is also in discussions to get right-of-way from one additional property — a house across from the entrance to Campus Trails and the Pointe.
During Monday’s meeting, Roberson said the county is in the early phases of a “quick take” legal action, similar to eminent domain, which would allow the county to obtain the needed right-of-way through the courts. However, he noted he believes some owners will sign without legal action, given time.
No apartment representatives could be reached for comment on Monday. Hillen Walter Reed III, whose family owns the house, said he was not aware of any legal action from the county when contacted.
After the meeting, Roberson told The Dispatch the board may have each landowner at the May 20 meeting to discuss reaching a resolution.
“What we will do is make an offer based on appraisals to deal with it that way so they don’t have to continue dealing with it,” Roberson said. “The longer it takes, the more it costs. If they don’t accept it, then we can file and, procedurally, move forward from that.”
Should the quick take process have to move ahead, Roberson said it could be October or November in a “best case” scenario before the county has the easements to begin the road work.
District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams asked Roberson to look into whether the county can move ahead with the project in stages while it waits to get the easements for the total project. The board unanimously approved Williams’ motion, and Roberson will contact the Office of State Aid and county engineer Clyde Pritchard to see what, if anything, can be done to move the project forward while the county waits for easements.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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